The Internal Revenue Service announced cost‑of‑living adjustments affecting dollar limitations for pension plans and other retirement-related items for tax year 2022 in Notice 2021-61, Key employee contribution limits increased The limit on contributions by employees who participate in 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans, and the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan increases in 2022 to $20,500 from $19,500
With Revenue Procedure 2021-30, the IRS has updated its Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS). EPCRS permits any plan sponsor of a retirement plan to correct plan failures. EPCRS offers three correction programs: Self-Correction Program (SCP) – Correct certain plan failures without contacting the IRS or paying a user fee Voluntary Correction Program (VCP) – Correct failures
Per the AICPA AICPA Employee Benefit Plans Audit Quality Center, the DOL staff has stated that in accordance with relief provided in EBSA Disaster Relief Notice 2020-01; Guidance and Relief for Employee Benefit Plans Due to the COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) Outbreak, the Department will not take enforcement action for participant payments and withholdings not made
As a firm which specializes in the audits of employee benefit plans, we continually monitor accounting, regulatory and current events which may impact plans. As a member of the Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center (EBPAQC), we recently attended the May 2021 American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) annual Employee Benefit Plans Conference. Below
The Tax Exempt and Government Entities (TE/GE) Fiscal Year 2021 Program Letter PDF lists IRS priorities and how those align with the IRS Strategic Goals. In fiscal year 2021, the IRS will continue to pursue its compliance program described in its FY 2020 Program Letter PDF, and use its webpage to share information about other compliance program initiatives at the end
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA, HR 1319) is expected to become law. Key benefit plan provisions[i] are highlighted below. Many of these affect funding provisions for defined benefit plans. Plan sponsors should work with their advisors, actuaries and ERISA attorneys to understand the implications of these changes. Extended Period for Single-Employer Pension
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration recently posted new guidance on Missing Participants including: Missing Participants – Best Practices for Pension Plans; Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2021-01, Temporary Enforcement Policy Regarding the Participation of Terminating Defined Contribution Plans in the PBGC Missing Participants Program; and Compliance Assistance Release No. 2021-01, Terminated Vested